Lost Cause
by xSpiteWolfx
Summary: A pup is accepted with open arms by the Western Pack and adopted by Kate and Humphrey. Unknowingly, the pup's past follows. Please read and review.
1. Preview

**Back from Myrtle Beach with sunburn and a new story idea. I, as of right now, have no idea where this is heading but I thought I'd post it up anyways. Please review.**

My old pack was filled with ruthless, coldhearted killers. I'm lucky I am alive. I'm not saying I avoided collateral damage, because I took enough.

After running for what I thought was an hour, I collapsed into the thin layer of snow building up on the soil. Ash that had settled on my belly was washed away, however the charred fur on my right flank took discomfort to the cold substance. I adjusted my lower half while keeping my head rested atop the snow. My sides screamed at every attempt to cushion my broken figure. Soon enough, I found I was fighting for a lost cause. I stopped moving and let my wasted body sink into the muck of dirt and water below me. Pain kneaded the ring surrounding every burnt area, but when it came to the actual scorched flesh, it was no contest. My fur was matted and my eyes were bloodshot. My lungs pleaded to be free of the smoke that built up when I ran through the forest. I didn't feel like standing, but I couldn't anyway. I was going to die out here.

The storm's mass was growing greatly. I could hardly see anything two feet away from me and the temperature was falling rapidly, much to my body's dismay. It was getting difficult to move my limbs. My eyes finally gave up fighting, shutting involuntarily as I awaited my departure.

My death was sealed. I didn't need to pray for the improbable rescue, or have someone explain to calm me. I could die in my own way, with my own shred of dignity I found myself.

Like the lone wolf I wanted to be.

**Well there is your preview. I'm going to assume you're going to hate me for leaving you with just this, but please don't. **

**And please review. Review= moral boost for me. Moral boost= great longer chapters.**

**Thanks!**

**xSpiteWolfx**


	2. Chapter 1

When it comes to achieving your goal, the target isn't always in sight. Sometimes you have to crawl your way past the obstacles obstructing your view. It consumes time, strength, and mental focus. Usually it pays off, but sometimes it's just a blank wall. But that's not a time to look down on yourself. Instead, raise your head, say you tried, and move on. You never know what's around the next corner.

Lost Cause

_Don't. Look. Back._

The toll of running for hours, or however long it has been, was growing greatly as I pushed farther into unknown territory. I could taste the salt from my sweat dripping of my tongue as it hung freely from my mouth. My sides hurt like nothing I've ever felt before as my lungs begged for air. My usual auburn coat was sprinkled in a thin layer of ash and reddish-pinkish blister of different sizes. The muscles in my legs ached as they carried me farther from the scorched earth I used to call home.

Any place I was going was better than here. I sure wasn't the most respected wolf there, nor was I able to fend for myself or anyone else, but I didn't enjoy watching it burn. It was all I had. After I heard the screams, I found myself in a dead sprint. Trees with their trunks set ablaze fell, blocking my path and forcing me to take an alternative route. I snaked my way through, but not without receiving a few nasty burns. I soon found myself here, lost, hungry, and alone.

It was freezing. As much as my body wanted to rest, my mind wouldn't let me stop. It knew that if I lie down, I wouldn't get back up. Keeping in motion was the only way to secure the remaining warmth in my body. Snow was beginning to fall, only adding to the discomfort of my paws. I slowed my pace, trying to guess where I was. One thing that struck me was I was better off a target. Anything that wanted to kill me could. This thinking increased my heart rate. I felt my chest tightening and my breathing pick up. I quickly redirected my mindset before I went crazy.

Where was I? The woods, my first obvious guess. Good, I could answer that simple question. I'm not insane yet.

It had gotten pretty dark outside. The trees made their own shadows, covering whatever they pleased. However, they must have not been very fond of me. The stinging in my eyes, along with the lack of light, made it difficult to see far away. It was cold, second of my obvious questions to test my insanity. I'm sure you'd need drugs not to guess that one right. I felt the cold. I breathed cold, and I sensed cold. I was freezing from the outside in. I needed to find shelter. I decided to pick up the pace. As I marched along, the forest seemed to dim.

I'm sure I have plenty of self control. If I want to speed up, I start to think. If I want to slow down, I shut my mind down. It's scary what your mind can dream up. Picturing you freezing, starving, or being eating alive. Its fear that pushes me on.

I must be running completely on the stuff. By now, after running for what seems like thirty, maybe forty minute, tears are freezing to my fur. The sky is almost pitch black, a new moon providing no light. The weather is only getting worse, not helping my condition. My paws hurt, my head hurts, everything hurts. My thoughts are cut off by a sound. I stop almost instantly, falling face first into the snow. It sounds like a caribou.

Food. I've almost forgotten how much I loved it. Thrill of hunting followed with a full belly. It never got better than that. I think I can see them, out in the distance. How I'd love to hunt them down, one by one, each kill boasting my attitude.

But I'm on the ground now. Helplessly on the ground. And I can't get up.

**Sorry that's short but I had to post something. Sorry about the late updates and such, school has started about three weeks ago and I've been busy. By the way, this doesn't fit with the preview, so this is the first legit chapter. **


	3. Chapter 2

**Finally I'm back! Sorry for the long delay. **

I could feel my senses pouring back into my system as I clenched my jaw together. I let out an audible growl and lazily opened my eyes. From what I could see, I was moving. I then heard barking, and soon enough I realized I was on a sled.

My insides warmed as shock filled my brain. I tried to stand, but felt rope strung taut around my chest and wrists. I breathed heavily as I calmed myself, hoping to figure out who was pulling the sled. But the weather had picked up to a blizzard now; I couldn't see two feet in front of me, and what I could see wasn't very reassuring. My body bound to the wood of the sled, frost forming on my paws, and my stomach screaming for food was only a few of the noticeable issues.

I turned my head and got a better look at the ground. The snow had covered everything.

I wondered how the things pulling the sled knew where to go. All I saw ahead was emptiness. Then it hit me.

I directed my attention to the ropes holding me in place. They were tight, but maybe if I wasn't completely frozen, I could saw right through them. I looked at my claws, but sadly, they couldn't help much. Aside from being tied down, nature had done its best. I had lost the feeling in most of them and my paw was next.

I had up until the time we stopped to figure this out. With the snow roaring loud and proud, they wouldn't see or hear me escape. With that reassuring note in my head, I focused on chewing my way out. Although it took some stretching, I finally got a good grip on the ropes holding down my chest. I anxiously began to grind and tear at the ropes.

As the sled started to turn, trees came into view. I was guessing we were on a trail. I had to let it slide though. I couldn't waste time worrying! But it seemed so tough, the ropes hardly budging along with the trail. No matter how much I tried, though, I still had to stop and calm myself.

You're almost there, just a bit farther and… SNAP!

My jaws screamed as I finally tore the rope free of its hold. My neck gave in from the strain and rested itself on the wooden sled.

Sure it's tough to find what you're searching for. That doesn't mean you should give up. If you really believe and try your best, the results might surprise you.

Reassuring words I remember from my mother when she was alive. We would always play hide in seek, there was hardly any pups to play with around my home, but one day she never found me. I became worried after a while, so I popped out of my little tree stump I hid in for most of our games and searched around. But, I soon learned a rival pack had swept through our territory and had captured most of my pack to use for blackmail. That's usually were the story ends for others when I explain it, the short version you could say.

The rope dug into my wrist, the pain bringing me back to reality. I could see the rope had shaved most of the fur away from the skin along with some frost forming. Worst of all, the sled was slowing. I reached up to get to the ropes holding down my paws. But no matter how far I bent forward, the gap between my teeth and the rope would never fill. The sled stopped.

I dropped my head, my breathing quick and shallow. Now much didn't matter. Whatever had captured me, I was now subject to them. I've always heard the old tales of war and suffrage, but never of peace and hope. It always seemed ever wolf had an enemy. But now I am that wolf, these are either my allies or enemies and the days of choosing has become the days of begging.

SNAP! SNAP!

The other ropes gripping me to the sleigh instantly flayed as they were cut. I turned my head and saw a wolf twice my size staring harshly at me. His face was almost unrecognizable, cuts and bruises scattered about on his face. Some of his brown fur was missing.

"What are you staring at?"

I look back directly at him. I turn the other cheek.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out."

Sure enough, I get yanked off the sled and thrown into the snow. As I regain myself, I see two more wolves approach.

"You're gonna regret that, you mutt." The grey one says. I could feel my heart beats throughout my body as I prepared for the worst.

"Well," the three wolves froze in their coats," Looks like some of my slaves are getting the first course."

I got a good view of the wolf, seemingly the leader, talking as I calmed down a little. He was a lot bigger than the other three, most of his mass being muscle, and had the feel of being around a snake, one ready to strike at any moment.

The brown wolf backed away," Of course not! I mean, the runt hardly is edible. We were thinking to chase him around, warm him up a bit before we, um, feasted."

"Yes, because I wholly trust you three peasants." The wolf walked over to me and sat, "Is he West?"

"Um," I said as calm as possible.

The three wolves sat in silence.

"You three didn't even ask," He stood," Well that was just rude of you."

"Uh, if you fancy sir," the smallest of the three that had a maroon coat said," I'd love to ask."

"If you wish," The leader said.

The wolf approached me.

"Well, what is it?"

He could surely tell by the dumbfounded look on my face I had no idea what he was talking about. The leader looked restless.

"What a waste," mumbled the leader. He slowly raised his paw, signaling to the other wolves. The carefully followed.

"In the meantime, I want him tied back on the sled and mobile in five minutes," two of the wolves got to work hooking me on the sled, with hardly any resistance, while the leader and his other follower shuffled with their harnesses. Once I was strung to the deck of the sled, the wolves growled and walked over to the front of the sled to ready up.

Suddenly, a faint howl was heard over the heavy roar of the storm. The leader's harness fell to the ground with a clink.

"Let's move," the brown wolf growled as he tucked himself into his harness.

The sled slowly began to accelerate. I could also hear the panting and sighing as the four wolves struggled to get the sled going. They seemed really rushed, and for some reason, what was starting to worry them began to worry me.

More howling could be heard now, some barking even. Luckily, the visibility had improved and I could see a whole more than just the sled. With each turn of the head, I reassured myself a bit more. But when the barking resumed, it quickly put the feeling of safety back into its dark corner.

These sounds where louder than before, a lot closer too. Suddenly to my right, I saw a figure, one of a wolf, sprinting along with the sled. It paid no attention to me whatsoever and instead bolted forward towards the four wolves driving the sled. Looking forward, I saw even more of the wolves aiding the hostile figure in attacking the sled. In once quick movement, the figures rammed into the sled-wolves and threw them off course. The sled bounced and shook as it veered off the trail. Unluckily, restrained as I was, all I could do was push my back into the sled's deck and hope for it to be over. The sled flipped, and all I could see was glistening white of the snow before everything went dark.


End file.
